Reds Hall of Famer Marty Brennaman Doesn't Hold Back in Criticism of Reds Bullpen

It feels like the sky is falling in Cincinnati.

Apr 25, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Reds Hall of Famer and former broadcaster Marty Brennaman, acknowledges the crowd during a Reds Hall of Fame induction ceremony before the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Reds had at least a two-run lead in all three games over the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend. They still got swept. That is the state of this bullpen and this team.

On Monday morning, Reds Hall of Famer Marty Brennaman joined his son, Thom, on 700 WLW and had a blunt assessment of the current bullpen.

"This may be the worst bullpen I've seen in all the years affiliated with the club," Marty said. "You mentioned the loss of Pagan and Ashcraft, well neither one of them were pitching great guns when you get down to it when they went down. I don't know how you fix the bullpen."

What has been frustrating about the bullpen is that it's not one or two guys struggling. Earlier in the season, Graham Ashcraft was fantastic, and he blew a crucial save against the Cubs. Sam Moll has been one of Cincinnati's best relievers this season. Over the weekend, he blew two straight games.

Not enough guys are stepping up in the bullpen. Brennaman mentioned Zach Maxwell and Luis Mey, who have been given multiple opportunities at the big league level, but have not been able to figure it out.

"They have nobody else to turn to, apparently, at Triple-A. You have to go outside of the organization. Everybody knows you're desperate to improve that area. If you make any deals, you're going to grossly overpay for what you'd have to give up in order to get some help in the bullpen. I think they are in as dire of a situation when it comes to trying to figure out how to improve the bullpen as any area."

Brennaman said what all Reds fans are feeling and thinking right now. It's been a frustrating stretch of baseball.

A Sad Statistic

Jun 7, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona (77) walks off the field during the eighth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Blown leads have become a troubling trend for the Reds. They have lost 14 games this season after leading at some point, including all three contests in St. Louis, and 12 of those losses have come in just over a month since May 2.

Reds manager Terry Francona is trying to keep his team positive amid the struggles.

We've had our share of hiccups" and "With the stuff that most of these guys have, we are going to be okay. It's just a little difficult right now."

Francona usually isn't a fan of team meetings, but he admitted he spoke to the squad after Sunday's loss.

“When it’s the hardest to believe, you have to,” Francona exhorted. “When there’s doubt, you’ve got to believe in each other and pick each other up. I told them, man, run the bases with your pants on fire and don’t leave anything on the field. I believe that’s not just the best way, it’s the only way we’re going to get where we want to go.”